Texas Chili

Course: Chili

Cuisine: Southern, U.S.

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 2 15

Total Time: 2 30

Servings:

Calories: 612kcal

Author: Kris Longwell

This recipe is classic Texas-style chili. Bold. No beans. Bite-size chunks of steak. And slow-cooked. Incredible.

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Equipment

1 Large pot,such as a Dutch oven

Ingredients

¼ cup chili powder
2 tablespoon onion powder
2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon oregano dried
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1½ teaspoon salt more, to taste
2 teaspoon olive oil
3 lbs boneless beef steak such as ribeye or sirloin, cut into bite-size pieces
2 lbs ground beef 85% lean
2 15 oz cans tomato sauce
3 cups chicken stock
3 cups beef stock
2 tablespoon brown sugar light or dark
2 tablespoon cumin ground
½ cup tomato paste plus extra, if needed
Hot Sauce for garnish, such as Frank's or Tobasco
onion chopped, for garnish
cheddar cheese shredded, for garnish
jalapeno fresh or pickled, for garnish

Instructions

Combine the first 8 ingredients in a bowl; divide into thirds.
¼ cup chili powder, 2 tablespoon onion powder, 2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon Cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 tablespoon smoked paprika, 1½ teaspoon salt
Heat oil in a large pot (Dutch oven works well) over medium heat.
Season the meat with salt and pepper all over.
Cook the cut-up steak in the oil over medium heat until browned all over. Drain. Add meat back to the pot.
2 teaspoon olive oil, 3 lbs boneless beef steak
Meanwhile, in a separate skillet, brown the ground beef until no longer pink and season with salt and pepper. Drain excess grease. Add cooked ground beef to the pot.
2 lbs ground beef
Add tomato sauce, chicken stock, and beef stock.
2 15 oz cans tomato sauce, 3 cups chicken stock, 3 cups beef stock
Bring to a simmer and then add ⅓ of the chili powder mixture. After 30 minutes, add the next ⅓ of the chili powder mixture, and then after another 30 minutes, add the last ⅓ of the chili powder mixture and let it simmer for another 30 minutes. (This will be approx. 1 ½ hours total.)
Add in the brown sugar, ground cumin, and tomato paste, and simmer for another 20 to 30 minutes, until the desired thickness. If the chili is still thinner than you prefer, add more tomato paste. Taste and add more salt, if needed.
2 tablespoon brown sugar, 2 tablespoon cumin, ½ cup tomato paste
Serve at once with garnishes on the side.
Hot Sauce, onion, cheddar cheese, jalapeno

Video

Notes

NOTE: Watch the video in the recipe card for visual guidance.

We love using nice cuts of boneless ribeye steaks. But you can also use sirloin, strip steak, or beef tenderloin. A combination of these works well, too. 1 or 2 lbs of cooked ground sirloin will stretch the chili, too, if desired (we add this in often). We sometimes don't include the cooked ground beef, and sometimes we do. It definitely stretches the chili and provides even more beef flavor. In the video, we didn't include the cooked ground beef, but we usually do.

Dividing the chili powder mixture into thirds before adding it to the chili makes this process easy. Simply combine all the seasoning ingredients (except the brown sugar and cumin) in a larger bowl. And then just eyeball dividing into thirds into 3 smaller bowls.

The consistency of the chili will seem thin at first. But over the course of the couple of hours of cooking, the chili will thicken and reduce.

This can also be made in a slow cooker. Brown the meat first, then add all remaining ingredients (except the brown sugar, cumin, and hot sauce) and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours (low on 4 to 5). Stir in the brown sugar, cumin, and hot sauce in the final 30 minutes.

Common garnishes are chopped onion, shredded cheddar, fresh or pickled sliced jalapenos, dill and/or sweet pickles, sour creams, crackers, cornbread, and cooked rice.

The chili will keep in the fridge (and even deepen in flavors) for up to 4 days. The chili freezes wonderfully for up to 3 months.

Nutrition